Riyad Mahrez reportedly chooses to join Arsenal

According to our colleagues at Eurosport FR, Leicester City attacker Riyad Mahrez has decided to join Arsenal and the move should occur imminently.

Talks are at an advanced stage between all parties.

Claudio Ranieri said to the press this week: “It is over, the market is closed here. Mahrez wants to stay.”

This was meant by Ranieri as pressure onto Mahrez, which has not changed the player’s mind, according to the report.

Arsenal are understood to have made an offer to the player directly and he has accepted it.

Arsenal will now make an offer worth around the €50m mark to Leicester. The report claims that although fee negotiations have not been completed between the two clubs, Leicester will not block Mahrez’s move.

Ranieri has always said that he will not stop a player from leaving who no longer wants to be at the club.

Kamel Bengougam, the player’s agent, refused to comment on the story.

Mahrez is set: Arsenal is his goal, and things, according to this report, will happen very quickly.

As for the reliability of the report, admittedly it has come out of nowhere, the individual who has written the story does not usually partake in the transfer window side of things. That however makes it seem more authentic, from our point of view. In any event, we are on the case and expect to be able to produce a follow up story with a denial or more solid confirmation within the next 24 hours.